October 2023

10/22/23 03:24 p.m.

 Am approaching the last week of October, and there are about 8 weeks left till the end of 2023. 

This semester is unofficially ending in the next 3 weeks. I can feel some stress and pressure building up yesterday night. The entire month started off with the school's recess week and well, let's just say that the recess week is not really a recess week. I was loaded with work and revisions, so I effectively spent most of my time either working or studying.

I am starting to realize how easy catching up with people could be. Not every catch-up needs to be a physical meet-up, it could just be a simple text message letting them know that I thought about them and that I hope that they are well. And we can give each other a quick breakdown of how our lives have been. Though it could be very much on the surface, I believe that it is the thought that counts. Not every catch-up needs to be as in-depth as hell (literally) and even if we have the time for that, we might not even have any emotional capacity for that. I managed to reconnect with some of my ex-colleagues, ex-schoolmates, and my dim sum dollies.

A while back, Sach came home and all of us met up. It is crazy to see how everyone has grown from the 17-year-old kids to our current 22-year-old selves. It has been 5 years and now we have much more clarity than before. We all kind of know what our path would look like at least in the next 2-3 years and it is super interesting how we all have our own "thing".

My catch-up with the dim sum dollies was hilarious. Our biggest similarity thus far is literally us collectively stressing about getting a full-time role (I mean now that we are all in our final year). But the best part is that we are all probably going to be in the space, just working and advancing different aspects of sustainability - some for sustainable finance, public policy, others in commercial sustainability. I can't wait for all of us to catch up on a quarterly or semiannual basis and just come together like fireworks. I feel stronger when I know that there are people as passionate as me and are also advancing the conversation through the work that they do. People like us feel a lot and so we need to know that we need to do better and do more. 

I have been consciously pacing myself and sending out job applications to different companies that are of interest to me. I would say that being excited to start working full-time is pretty much an understatement. I know what I am looking for. I am looking for a challenge, an opportunity to push the narrative further, and a platform to disrupt and take bold actions. So, I hope, that my first company that I will end up in, would be like that. Though I don't think that it is dreamy, in fact, I think I might have found the company already. But fingers crossed, I can only hope for the best and be patient with the results. Let me trust the process. 

After joining SYVB, I finally deep-dived into the entire world of credits (again) from carbon credits to biodiversity credits and also the entire regulation and governance structure behind it. To say the very least, there is so much more I don't know, but based on my current understanding, this market can really do so much better. We are currently finalising our working paper for biodiversity offsets for publication soon. 

Pressure in school has been building up, with essay submissions, project presentations, and final examinations coming up. Our days of just talking randomly on benches or at beaches progressively became more work/school-centric as we found ourselves in comfortable working environments and study spots instead (cafes/libraries/SMU). Regardless, we are spending our time with each other more intentionally and consciously. We are always a WIP at building a stronger base and foundation for our future. So I am thankful for the good times and the good times amidst the bad times. We are becoming more resilient and truly tougher when the going gets tougher. 

Well, I hope that I will have good news soon, but either way, I will have to keep my composure and take everything that comes in my own stride. When a door closes, another will open. 

Rookie for life,
Hui